


You Hurt But Learn

by Chash



Series: Charity Drive 2017 [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-22 07:50:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9593711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chash/pseuds/Chash
Summary: Once she and Bellamy became actual friends, Clarke got a lot better at not having fights with him. Which just makes it all the more annoying when she does, because she doesn't know what to do about it. Especially when Bellamy's solution is to just drop off the face of the earth.Luckily, Raven's got their backs.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hunkydory84](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hunkydory84/gifts).



> Second charity fic!

Since the two of them became actual friends, Clarke can count the number of real, genuine arguments she and Bellamy have had on one hand. They bicker, they disagree, they turn teasing each other into a sport, but they don't actually go after each other like they used to. 

So it's really upsetting, when a fight really does come along. 

The first time, it was when Clarke decided to give Lexa another chance. Bellamy thought she didn't deserve it, after how she left Clarke during the first breakup, and Clarke was firmly of the opinion that it was none of his fucking business, and that caused a falling out about what friends were allowed to care about and how much Bellamy was allowed to talk about her love life that didn't resolve fully until she and Lexa broke up again.

"This had absolutely nothing to do with what happened before," she told Bellamy, petulant. "It's not--it's totally unrelated. You weren't _right_."

"I believe you." He let out a breath. "Look, if I think you're doing something stupid, I'm going to tell you. That includes personal relationships. But I get that it's your call in the end, and if you don't agree with me, I shouldn't be a dick about it." 

"And I shouldn't have said you weren't allowed to have an opinion," Clarke admitted. "You had to deal with the Lexa fallout the first time, of course you had something to say about the two of us getting back together. I want you to tell me when you think I'm fucking up. Even if you're wrong, I want to hear about it."

He ducked his head on a smile, but didn't completely relax. "So--we're good?"

"We're good."

"And you're okay? With the breakup."

It made her smile. "Yeah. I'm okay."

Their second fight was when Octavia decided to move across the country with a week's notice, and Bellamy tried to stop her, which really did not work out well for him, and Clarke tried to remind him of the Lexa thing and the limits of his own power, and he told her she didn't have a sister so she'd never understand.

Octavia still left, and Clarke was still worried, so she went over to his place with pizza that night, and he opened the door with a wry smile.

"We're already doing the resolution part?" he asked.

"I'm sorry she left."

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. You were just trying to help."

"You were pissed at the world. I get it."

"I try not to take that out on you, though."

Clarke smiled. "It happens. How are you doing?"

"Shitty."

"Cool. I brought pizza."

"Come on in."

And now, they're on their third argument, and Clarke isn't sure what to do about it. She's thinking of moving to Rhode Island, and she told Bellamy about it right away, because she wanted to talk to him about it. And he started off being sullen, which turned into being grumpy, which turned into an actual fight, and Clarke's still not sure _why_. Bellamy still hasn't come up with a single argument about why she shouldn't move, and her best guess is that he'd miss her, which--of course she'd miss him too, but it's not like her moving would end their relationship. He'll be her best friend, no matter where she is. 

It's also not a typical fight in that there wasn't any of their usual shouting and storming off; there was arguing, and Bellamy becoming increasingly uncomfortable, but he didn't raise his voice or tell her anything he couldn't take back, and she didn't either, and now they're just--quietly resentful, and she doesn't even know what to apologize for. She's not even _actually moving yet_. She's not going to apologize for thinking about moving and asking his opinion on it.

But she'd like to figure out what went wrong and how she can fix it, all the same. Aside from promising not to move, she really doesn't have any ideas, and she's not really ready to do that yet. She still might. And it's unreasonable of him to expect that.

So it's a stalemate, and as it turns out a stalemate with Bellamy is even worse than a fight with Bellamy.

Raven's the one to ask about it, probably because everyone else in their friend group is afraid of either Clarke or Bellamy or both, and Raven is afraid of nothing and gives no fucks. 

"What's up with you and Bellamy?"

"I think we're fighting," Clarke admits.

Raven's eyebrows shoot up. "You don't know?"

"He won't tell me what's wrong. I'm pretty sure I know," she adds, reluctant. "But he won't tell me, so we can't talk about it."

"What do you think it is?"

"I'm thinking about taking a job in Providence and he doesn't want me to. Which is fine! I just wish he'd talk to me about it instead of--being Bellamy about it. Or being _not_ Bellamy about it, I guess," she admits. "He never minds telling me all the ways I'm wrong."

"You can't actually tell me you're surprised Bellamy doesn't want you to move."

"To Providence!" she objects. "It's not even that far. I could still come down on weekends."

"And you're not just asking him?"

"He's not really talking to me," Clarke admits. "I'm working on it."

"Jesus, you guys are such a fucking train wreck," Raven mutters. "You're coming out with us tonight, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because he is too, so you can _talk to him_."

"Or I can get drunk and assume it'll go away," she says. "I don't even know if it's about this. Maybe he's in a bad mood about something else and taking it out on me."

"Yeah, that sounds real," says Raven. "Just tell him you'll still love him and he's your favorite. And don't move to Providence. I'd miss you."

"It's seriously not that far," she says. "And I hear it's cool. But nothing's set in stone. Just looking at my options."

"Well, one of your options is drinks tonight. Take that one."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll see you then."

In retrospect, she should have seen _something_ coming, but she had to bail on their last group outing because she had work stuff, so she figured Raven was just missing her and wanted to make sure she didn't skip again.

Which is why she's stuck in a store room with Bellamy.

"How did they even get the key?" Clarke asks, shoving the door ineffectually.

"Gina," he says. He's already sitting on the floor, head back against the wall, resigned to their fate. "She's into Raven, so she wants to get on her good side." He pauses, and then adds, "I'm pretty sure this is your fault."

"My fault?"

"I don't know why anyone would want to lock me up, so it must be on you."

"If you'd just talk to me, Raven wouldn't have locked us up!" she says, and he cocks his head, eyebrows raised. "Well, she wouldn't."

"I'm talking to you now."

"You know what I mean, Bellamy. You've been avoiding me for weeks."

"You've been busy. I've been busy."

"You're not texting me back, you don't want to watch Netflix, you don't--" Her voice catches, and she looks away. "This is the most I've talked to you since I told you about the new job."

"Yeah, well, maybe I'm just trying to get you used to not having me living around the corner," he says. "I can't watch Netflix with you in Providence."

She sighs and sits down next to him on the floor, shoulder barely brushing his. "That's not actually true. There are plenty of ways to watch Netflix remotely. There's this website, Rabbit? It lets you watch streaming stuff with people online. We could do that. If you actually replied to your texts, we could talk. And I could come down on weekends. And I'm _not even sure I'm going_. The job's fine, but I'm not sold on it, and I wanted to talk it through with my best friend."

There's a long pause, and then he says, "So, you were in favor of getting locked in the storage room."

"I didn't know that was the plan, and I would have told them not to. But--I wanted to talk to you," she admits. "I wish you'd just talk to me."

"I don't want you to move," he finally says, and she has to smile. 

"I got that part. I actually value your opinions, so I was hoping you'd tell me _why_ you didn't want me to move. I know you've got a list of reasons. Hit me."

"If I had a list of problems, I would have told you already," he says. He huffs. "Seriously, the job sounds fine. I don't have a single good reason you shouldn't move to Providence. I know I'd still see you. I know it's a good opportunity."

"It's kind of a mixed opportunity."

"Yeah?" He wets his lips, shifts a little closer. "Okay, start with yours. I don't have a pros and cons list yet, so we can start with yours."

"Okay, so--the pay is a lot better, and the rent would probably be cheaper, so it's a great move financially. But part of why I'd be making more money is that I'm moving from a non-profit to for-profits, and I don't know about that. I _like_ working for Planned Parenthood. And the new job is--not as exciting. But I don't know when I'm ever going to get a promotion now, and I know that being in the same position for a long time looks bad on resumes, so if I don't move on now, I might not get another chance. And they're recruiting me. That's pretty cool."

"They're recruiting you because you're the best," Bellamy says. "You love your job. And you're right. I hadn't thought about that, but if you left, it would bug you."

"Which part?"

"Right now, you feel like you're doing good for the world with work. Which you are, don't get me wrong. You start working for a for-profit hospital, and you'll feel dirty, and you're going to end up giving all your extra money to charity and spending all your time off volunterring. So if you're looking for a new job, you should keep on doing it, but focus on non-profit hospitals, charities, that kind of thing." She can see his throat bob as he swallows. "This isn't going to be the only opportunity you get. You're amazing."

"I know. I've just been feeling kind of stuck lately, I guess."

"Yeah, I got that. You think if you move to Providence, you'll stop being stuck?"

"Not exactly. But--I should do _something_ , right?"

"I thought your life was pretty good," he says, and his voice is just a little too casual.

"Fuck, I didn't mean--of course it is. Is this why you were mad at me?" she can't help adding. "Because you thought I wasn't happy?"

"Sure, let's go with that."

" _Bellamy_."

He glances at her. "Would you be happy if I told you I was thinking of moving to another city for a job that didn't even sound that great?"

"I'd be happy for you," she says. "If you wanted that, I guess."

"Yeah, you probably would." He closes his eyes. "I was trying really hard to be happy for you but I don't think you'd be better off. And I'd miss you. And I'm an asshole."

"I know." She nudges his shoulder. "You feel _bad_. That's why you've been avoiding me. You feel guilty."

"Mostly." He exhales, still not looking at her. "And it's always going to be like this. If you ever ask if you should move, I'm always going to tell you not to. You could get the best fucking opportunity in in the world, and I'd still tell you not to go." He wets his lips. "So--I'm not a good person to talk to about this. You should go with Raven, or Wells, or Monty, or--literally anyone but me."

She slides a little closer, right into his side. "Seriously, if I left, it doesn't mean you'd stop being my best friend."

"Yeah, I know." He looks down at her, actually meets her eye. "But I'd have a lot more trouble figuring out how to ask if you wanted to be my girlfriend."

Her heart stops, and then starts again, but definitely somewhat wrong. He's so close, and he smells so nice, and he's watching her steadily. _Sure_.

"I kind of had a crisis about you leaving. O had to talk me through it long-distance. I didn't mean to disappear on you, but apparently I'm kind of--"

"A fucking _dumbass_ ," she says, and slides her hand into his hair to pull him down for a kiss. His mouth is soft and a little open already, and as soon as he catches up, his hand finds her waist and pulls her closer, kissing her back eagerly, warmly. Bellamy kisses like she would have said he would, if anyone had ever asked her, firm and confident, taking control automatically, but happy to back off when Clarke's competitive dominance flares up.

"So, you're not mad at me," he says, a smile in his voice as he pulls back. She's in his lap, which isn't much of a surprise, and his fingers are under the hem of her shirt, rucking it up slightly. His glasses are crooked, which must be her fault, and he's grinning, which she's going to take credit for too.

"You should have just told me."

"I honestly didn't know. Seriously, O had to tell me why I was pissed you'd want to leave. I had no fucking clue."

"I didn't want to leave _you_ ," she says, and kisses him again. "It's just a job. You're Bellamy."

"Yeah, well, you didn't convey that very well," he says, without heat. " _I'm thinking about moving to Providence_. Fuck, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"I was thinking about it!"

"And now?"

"I might keep looking for other jobs. Or just talk to my boss about what kind of growth opportunities I've got at PP." She leans in, brushing her nose against his. "You're going to stop being an idiot and start being my boyfriend."

"I think I'm still going to be an idiot," he says. "Just, you know. So you're ready for that. I basically never stop being an idiot."

"The girlfriend thing was kind of smooth."

"Yeah? I should have written it down."

She bites her cheek, watching him. "Seriously, though. You're stuck with me, Bellamy. Even if I move, I'm still yours. I'm always going to be."

"Could have told me before we got locked in a storage room," he grumbles, without heat.

"What's wrong with being locked in a storage room?" She smirks. "Privacy."

"Until they get us out. Sorry, but there's no way I'm fucking you in Gina's back room. Raven's going to open the door and have blackmail on us for the rest of our lives."

"Okay, yeah. But we could still make out."

He laughs, slides his hands up her back, under her shirt, and leans up for another kiss. "I guess we're not doing anything else."

*

When Raven does let them out, they're sitting side-by-side again, Bellamy playing Hearthstone on his phone while Clarke advises him based on her very limited knowledge of the rules.

"Seriously?" asks Raven.

"What?" Bellamy shoots back, aggressively nonchalant. He stands and stretches, and Clarke does the same.

"You guys have been in here for an hour."

"Yeah, I was going to start pounding on the door soon," he says. "You know we didn't have bathroom access, right?"

She rolls her eyes. "See if I ever try to do anything nice for you again."

Bellamy pauses, seems to really think about it, and then leans down to press his lips to Raven's cheek. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks for the weird help. Have fun with Gina."

Clarke watches him go, half because she wants to and half to avoid looking at Raven. But once he's gone, she has to. Raven's looking at her, of course, eyebrows raised.

"You guys figure it out?" she asks.

"Yeah," says Clarke. "We're good." And then, because it's important, "I can't believe you locked us in a storage room!"

"I can't believe you _let me_. Seriously, you believed me that there was something you guys had to check out in the back? That was such obvious bullshit."

It's a valid point, so all she can really say is, "Shut up."

"Whatever. You owe me."

She doesn't even know the half of it. "Maybe a little. But don't do it again."

"Don't make me."

She can't help a small, private smile. It's not as if dating Bellamy means she'll never argue with him again, but--well, it's going to be different. They're about to enter yet another new phase of relationship arguments, apparently. 

She can't wait.

"Yeah," she says, with a smile. "I think we're set."


End file.
